Swimming device



F. J. C'ULLOMER. SWIMMING nEvIcE..- fVA APPLICATION FILED IuLY 2. I92 I h1-Patented Nov. M, 1922,. Z SHEETS-SHEET lji "F. l'. C'ULLOMER'. SWIMMING DEVICE". v APPLICATION Flu-:o JULY 2. 1921." 1 Patented Nov. 114, 1922...

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FRANK J'. CUILOlWER,A OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

Application filed July 26,

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. GULLOMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new vand useful Swimming Device, of which the i'ollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of my specification.

ily inventionrelates to a deviceto be e1nployed by swimmers or bathers, in the na-v ture of a swimming suspender, ot such construction as to enable the same to be readily applied so as to in no way interfere with the ability of the swimmer or free movement of the user.

One object of myv invention is to provide a construction which will snugly tit about the body and shoulders of the user and permit the same to be worn beneath the outer garments if desired, while at the same time maintaining proper position of the device to admit of free action on the part of the user; the device being so formed that the buoyancy providing portions will support v the user in proper position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction wherein a plurality of buoyancy providing elements or non-communicating air chambers are provided so that in the event of punctures or disarrangements of one of said elements or air-chambers, the other element or-air chamber will remain in tact and not be aected and tlierefore still enable the user to'remaiiraoat; the construction being1 adjustable to the body of the user and so formed that the user may readily control p the respective buoyancy providing elements or air chambers.

The above enumerated objects and the advantages inherent in my invention willV all be more readily ycomprehended from the vdetailed description of the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention illustrated in buoyancy providing condition.

Figure 2 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the shoulder portion of my device, with portions broken away and shown in section.

Figure 4 illustrates the application of my improved device and its position on the body 1921'. serial no. 487,708.

of the user and at the same time discloses a slight modication of fastening means.

My invention in its speciiic exempliiication comprises a pair or' inflatable or airholding members 10, 10, consisting of any suitable air-holdingmaterial, impervious to water, preferably rubber formed into the elongated tubular portions 11 and 12, the lower ends whereof are closed and properly sealed to provide air-holding chambers therein. The upper ends ot the two portions 11 and 12 are connected by means of a shoul der piece or strap 13 preferably formed int-egral therewith and cut away on the inner edge or neck side of the strap as shown at 14E so as to properly fit about the shoulders of the user and provide a comparatively narrow strip which will in no way interfere with the free movement of the shoulders and arms oi' the user. The intermediate or shoulder portion 13 may likewise be formed of rubber, in reality constituting continuations of the two portions 11 and 12 as shown, with tlietwo side walls of the shoulder portions or straps 13, however, preferably cemented or secured together as indicated at 15 in Figure 1, in order that the main portion of the shoulder-straps cannot be ini'iated and thereby provide a more or less cumbersome shoulder portion which would be likely to interfere with proper movement of the users shoulders. In order, however, that communication between the front and rear tubular portions 11 and 12 may be established, l prefer to provide the rubber tubes indicated at 16, which may consist of coinparatively thick rubber and of length sutlicient to extend from the upper end ot the front tubular portion 11 to the upper portion of the rear tubular portion 12, namely to points beyond the immediate upper ends of the portions 11 and 12 and therefore beyond the shoulders of the user. This rubber tube 16, one of which is provided in each shoulder or strap 13, is secured between the walls or rather withinthe shoudler portions or straps 13 and properly cemented or secured in place adjacent to what may be termed the outer edges of the shoulder portions or straps 13, as shown in Figure 1, with ends preferably extending a distance within the tubular portions 11 and 12. With this construction, kinking oi the shoulder straps or portions and closing otlvl of communica`- tion between the ifi-ont and rear tubular portions ].1 and 12 will be practically impossible, while proper flow o'l air from front to rear in both main portions of the device is constantly permitted.

As clearly shown in Figure 1, the device comprises the two main inflatable portions 10, 10 adapted to fit over bot-h shoulders and extend lengthwise of the body of the user as shown in Figure L1- while at the same time being absolutely independent of each other in so far as the air-holding chambers are concerned. i f

The lower ends of the tubular portions 11 and 12 are provided with a belt, as at 17, formed ofany suitable material having the necessary strength; the belt inthe particular exemplilicatiou being shown provided with pockets or loops as at 1S into which the lo weil ends of the tubular portions extend and wherein they may be secured in place in any suitable manner; it being found in practice that the ends of the tubular portions will remain in the pockets or loops, without any particular fastening means being employedy when the tubular portions are inflated. 1t is understood, of course, that the belt may be provided with any suitable fastening means or buckle, as at 19, which will enable the belt to be drawn taut so as to lit snugly about the waist of the user.

To maintain the upper portion of the tub`- ular members in proper relation and proper position on the body of the user, the front tubular members 11v of both portions 10 are fastened together in proper spaced relation by means of a strap 20 of any suitable liabric having looped ends as at 21 of such size as to enable the complete or maximum inflation of the tubular or air-holding portions 11; while the back tubular portions 12 of both members 10 are likewise secured together and held in propel' spaced relation by a strap or band 22 having 'the looped ends Q3 for the passage of the tubular portions 12 and also of such dimensions as to permit maximum inflation of said tubular portions.

The straps 2Ol and Q2 may be adjustable lengthwise of the tubular portions 11 and 12 so as to be moved toward or farther from the upper ends of the tubular portions in accordance with the desi-res and physio of the user.

The upper end-of each front tubular portiony 11 and preferably at what may be termed the upper inneredge thereof is provided with a. suitable air-valve as at 24: having the lower end of its casing or shell properly and immovably securedwithin the tubular portion as shown at 25 in Figure 1, while the lower end of the shell or casingis preferably provided with a .rubber tube eXtension as at Q6.'

By employing the rubber tubes 16 and 26 as shown and described, it is apparent that the device is reenforced `at points where the same is apt to be subjected to more or less ases pressure and flexing. At the same. time the method of securing the air-valves 9x1 with the more or less heavy tubing 2G ensures the air-valves remaining in upright or vertical position where they will be readily accessible to the mouth of the user so that he can inflate the device after the same has been placed about the body, while the construction described also provides a grasping point for the user, whenit is desired to inject air, which will not interfere with the introduction of the air. Furthermore, the method of securing the valves in place will prevent their bending laterally or downwardly out of easy reach necessitating bending the valves upwardly; the valves will constantly be held in vertical position near the mouth of the wearer to permit inflation of the device while the user is in the water and the device is in pla-ce on his body.

ln Figure l I show a slight modification or addition to my improved device in that the device is shown provided with suitable crotch-strings or straps 27 which be passed through suitable eyelets provided in tue bottom ends of the main portions 11 and 12, or secured in any other suitable manner at points beneath the air-holding part of the port-ions 11 and 12; the straps or strings 27 being provided with suitable adjusting mea-ns or buckles at 2S in order that the straps or strings may be drawn taut. The strings or straps may be desired to properly hold vthe device down in position, especially where the users waist line issuch that the main belt 1'? would not prevent the upward creeping movement of the device induced by constant movement of the ybody of the user. 1n most instances, the strings or straps may be eliminated, although they may be of suoli nature as to in no way interfere with the free movement of the body of thel user and the strings may, if desired,l be employed instead of the main belt 17.

The air-admitting valves 241- may be of a well known construction at present employed and therefore require no specific description nor disclosure, while the tubular portions 11 and 1Q may vary in cross-sectional diinensions so as to provide proper supporting capacity when completely inflated. W'ith the construction shown and described it is apparent that separate buoyancy providing chambers or air-holding elements are provided so` that in the event of a rupture or puncture in one side of the `device the entire supporting capacity of the swimming suspendel' will not be destroyed, fwhile at the same time the construction is such that its position on the body of the user will be maintained.

I-have illustrated what I believe to be the simplest and best embodiment of my invention, having described the same in terms which are employed merely as terms of description and not as termsof limitation, as structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is l. A device of the character described, comprising a plurality of inflatable tubular members adapted to extend intermediate of the shoulders and waist at front and rear of the body of the user, said tubular members being arranged in pairs, the two pairs being arranged in spaced and non-communicating relation, the front and rear members of the same pair being provided at their upper ends with integral non-inflatable shoulder portions,.an air-conveying tube secured in each shoulder portion, extending from the upper end of the front tubular member to the upper part ot the rear tubular member, an upstanding air inlet valve secured to the upper end of each front tubular member, and means whereby the two pairs of tubular members are maintained in spaced relation and the device secured to the body of the user.

2. A` device of the character described, comprising a plurality of elongated inflat able tubular members adapted to be disposed lengthwise ot the chest and back, intermediate of thev shoulders and waist of the user and arranged in pairs, non-inflatable shoulder portions extending intermediate of the outer upper ends of the tubular members whereby the front and rear members are secured together in non-communicating pairs, a flexible tube secured within each shoulder portion along the outer edge thereof and extending from a point below the upper end of the front tubular member to a point beneath the upper end of the correlated back tubular member whereby communication between the front and rear members is es tablished, adjustable means whereby the tubular members, both front and rear, will be held against separating movement and maintained in predetermined spaced relation, an air-inlet valve secured to the upper and in# ner opposing side of each front tubular member and having a rigid portion enclosed in the tubularmember so as to adapt said valve to extend upwardly into proximity with the chin of the user, and means secured about the lower ends of the tubular members whereby the device may be adjustably secured to the body of the user.

3. A device of the character described, comprising two pairs of inflatable tubular portions adapted to extend at front and rear of the body of the user intermediate of the shoulders and waist, the two pairs being spaced apart in non-communicating relation, the inflatable portions of each pair being connected together at their upper ends by fiat non-inatable shoulder portions offset from the upper inner ends of the iniatable tubular portions, an air-conveying tube secured within the shoulder portions for establishing communication between the front and rear inflatable portions of each pair, an upstanding air valve secured in the oii'set upper end of each front tubular portion, with a portion of the valve casing embedded in said front tubular portion, and means attached to all of the tubular portions whereby they are maintained in place and secured to the body of the user.

FRANK J. CULLOMER. Witnesses:

HARRY J. KUHL,

HEIDMAN. 

